I was always taught that looking for the positive in every situation should be your only option. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, ‘Turn that frown upside-down!’
This sounds great but often it’s rather difficult to do, especially for me.

So no matter how you rake it, there’s always going to be a few snakes in the straw!

My farm-girl lingo aside and translated into city slicker terms, that just means there are always going to be a few that spoil it for the others and the insurance world seems to win gold with this one.

Alright, I admit it. Auto insurance is enough to cause anybody to get a little pink in the cheeks. Insurance can get downright confusing, as there are many different variables within the policies as well as your driving record and circumstances, that will determine which type of insurance fits you best.

It’s a classic catch-22 here. You need to drive a vehicle in order to survive, yet you can’t afford to because your insurance company has decided to put your rates through the roof. Yes, your insurance company has done this. Not the government or anybody else. It is each separate insurance company that decides what rate they are going to charge you, based on their mood of the day. Not fair, but since when did that matter?

Yin and Yang come to mind, when I’m pondering health insurance. Two separate parts that are opposite, but cannot exist without one another. With that said, it is extremely important that you stay healthy and are protected, should you need medical attention. This is pretty much inevitable, as at one point or another you are going to get sick and I can guarantee it’s going to whack you when you least expect it.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve had someone come into the office, with some tall tale, compliments of the uninformed insurance rumor mill. Often I’m laughing inside and can’t help but smile just a little thinking about it.

The tornadoes the Midwest is currently experiencing are scary and dangerous. Unfortunately, they also aren’t something that a homeowner can really guard him or herself against. While building code compliance can ensure that you are less likely to lose your roof in a fierce storm, tornadoes are so destructive that often, there is absolutely no offensive measure for a homeowner to take.

There are many things that each of us must do on a daily basis in order to keep up with our obligations and avoid disappointing those who are counting on us. But this level of time devotion to everyday activities can deeply impact our ability to manage our own financial affairs as thoroughly as we might like – because while you are bringing your daughter to dance class, baking cookies for your son’s school bake sale, and going grocery shopping for a sick relative all while balancing work, housework and other duties, there isn’t a lot of time left over for financial planning.

Like most of us, you probably have a budget to stick to each month. And, depending on your personal financial situation, that budget might be restrictive or relatively generous. If it’s restrictive, then when you compare auto insurance rates that can mean that you place more importance on affordability than value.

Estate planning is a tricky topic that almost no one, except estate planners, likes to talk about. But it is an important topic and, unfortunately, death is something that’s going to happen to all of us whether we talk about it or not, so it’s best to just face up to it and be prepared.

After retirement, most people want to kick back, relax and enjoy the good life that they worked so hard to get during their working years. Because retirement savings are fixed, and expenses are variable not to mention unpredictable since no one knows for sure what their life expectancy is, this means that many individuals work really hard to reduce post-retirement expenses.

We spend a lot of time on Twitter (follow us @inseducation). Naturally, since we like to talk about insurance, we tend to search for the word insurance on Twitter and check out what everyone is talking about day to day, and see if we can send links to any articles that might help encourage insurance education.

You may feel like a great weight has been lifted off your chest once you buy your life insurance policy, but there are still some things you should consider taking care of once the policy is purchased.

When you pay your insurance premiums month after month, it might start to feel like you are just giving money away for no good reason. And if you’ve ever had a claim denied because the damage to your property was no higher than your deductible, you might really feel like you’re getting the short end of the stick.

This week, after the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, many people were surprised to find that their travel insurance policies will not reimburse their trips because they were cancelled due to concerns of radiation contamination. Some are crying foul, but chances are if they read their travel insurance policy, they would find that these events – while unlikely to even occur – were included in a list of excluded incidents.

When people think of auto insurance, they often think only of the cars they drive every day, or the cars their newly licensed teens drive and how those definitely need coverage. But what about all the recreational vehicles we own? From snowmobiles to boats, wave runners to campers, there are a ton of recreational vehicles that all need to have some liability and replacement insurance coverage on them.

Paying your health insurance premium each month may be enough to keep your policy in-force, but there are other steps you should take in order to keep the policy affordable year after year and to make sure you use it to its fullest.

On Twitter, it sometimes seems like all anyone can talk about is the latest spate of insurance commercials and man, with all the choices out there it’s an endless conversation. Progressive has its Flo commercials, Allstate has the funny mayhem spots, and Geico – the most multiple personalitied of all insurance companies – has the cavemen, the Twilight Zone spoofs, the gecko and the cartoon movies.

Some of these commercials are very funny. My personal favorites are the mayhem commercials, which have a sardonic twist that always makes me laugh. And while you might have your own personal favorite auto insurance commercial, it is important that you not pick an auto insurance policy based on the commercial that the insurance company puts out there.

It’s nice that ad agencies and marketing departments are trying to develop advertising materials that inform and entertain, but that doesn’t mean that the insurance policies offered by one company producing great commercials are a better choice for you than another company that isn’t. So rather than make your choice based on commercials, compare the costs of all auto insurance companies before you buy a policy. Check on the rates and compare the coverage options you get with each rate. Be sure to make sure you have chosen comparable limits and deductibles when you compare rates, and look to see if the deductibles and limits are reasonable for the claims expenses you are likely to endure. You should also take a moment to look at the AM best ratings of each insurer before you choose in order to see if one is more financially stable than another.

Enjoying a commercial is one thing; buying insurance is another. Don’t confuse the laugh out loud talent of some commercial writers with a representation of quality in an insurance company.

Financial planner Neal Frankle wrote a post this week on the blog Fivecentnickel.com, about how surprised he was to find while updating his financial plan, that he did not have enough life insurance coverage and actually needed to buy more.

Life insurance policies often have a value beyond their death benefit. Whole (or permanent) policies also accrue something called cash value. A policy’s cash value is the accumulation of premium that is paid over the policy’s cost of insurance. These cash reserves accrue and gain interest and can be borrowed against.

There will come a time when you need to contact the customer service department of your health insurance company, whether it is because you have a question about what your policy covers or because you need a precertification for a medical procedure. But having all your ducks in a row before you call is a good idea because it will help your phone call go smoother and ensure that you get the information you need in just one phone call – because calling an insurance company 2 or more times in one day probably isn’t on anyone’s list of fun activities.

As if there isn’t enough to think about when you take out a life insurance policy, you also have to think about whom you are going to name as owner because you don’t have to be the owner of your policy, you simply have to be the insured.

Have you given up on all your lofty New Year’s resolutions yet? No? Well good on you! It’s hard, especially now around week three, to stay on track so we thought we would take this time to give you another couple of reasons to keep it going. Since most New Year’s resolutions seem to revolve around eating and drinking in moderation and exercising, we’ve decided to focus on those goals.

You know what your home and property are worth, so you know that the limits on the policy are acceptable.

You can afford the premium and you have already paid the policy up for the entire year.

You are safe and your family is protected.

Or is it?

Often, policyholders don’t realize that having a home insurance policy alone is not enough to actually protect their home and possessions from all the perils they face. Why? Because home insurance policies do not cover certain perils like earthquakes, landslides and floods.

In order to ensure you have coverage in the event that a natural body of water overflows and floods your home, or an earthquake occurs and shatters your home’s foundation, or a landslide ruins the walls, windows and security of your home, you need to either cover these perils through an additional insurance policy or talk to your agent about having additional coverages added to your home insurance policy in order to give a wider range of protections.

But in addition to the uncovered perils listed above, you may also need additional coverage for other small things that you might not even have considered – and that your policy doesn’t necessarily point out as missing. Like debris removal for taking out fallen trees and other debris after a hurricane, collapse and sinkhole damage coverage, insurance for building additions and more.

If you aren’t sure what your policy doesn’t cover, and reading the policy doesn’t help you understand, then you should call your insurance company. They will be able to explain to you the perils covered based on your insurance policy class. And if you are just now getting insurance quotes for rates on a home insurance policy, then be sure to consider including these coverages in your quote request.

Super size my fast food meal? Yes please! Give me a bigger room at a luxury hotel? You betcha! A huge, luxury car instead of a tiny Smart Car? You know it! These days, no matter where you look, it seems like bigger is always better. If you can get more – then you should. But there is one area where this logic doesn’t hold, and that is in insurance.

Insurance companies work hard to protect their bottom line. They screen the risks presented to them in the form of insurance applicants in order to ensure that the risks they take on don’t outweigh the premiums they collect.

When you leave your job, and your group health insurance plan, you have the option of taking COBRA coverage or buying your own, individual health insurance policy. Before you do, you need to determine which option is best for you.

When you take out a life insurance policy, you need to decide who will get the policy proceeds (or death benefit) when you pass away. Many people make the mistake of leaving the beneficiary elections blank, which means that their death benefit must go to their estate and, therefore, through probate – often a long process. When you name the beneficiary of your policy instead of leaving that choice blank, the death benefit can be paid out immediately allowing your heirs the immediate use of much-needed money.

If you have children or grandchildren, then you are probably concerned with making sure that you leave a legacy after your death. Whether you want that legacy to pay for the education of your descendants or to help them improve their quality of life, making sure that the assets you worked so hard for during life actually amount to a meaningful change in the lives of your heirs is likely a priority.

These days, the news is filled with talk about life insurance, auto insurance, home insurance and health insurance company executive salaries, bonuses and profits. As you may have guessed, the profits, bonuses and salaries paid to insurance company executives are gained by the premiums that you pay each and every year.

Whenever we talk about saving money on auto insurance, we mention taking a safe driving course (or defensive driving course) because, as you may have guessed or read already, a safe driving course can entitle you to discount on your auto insurance premium.

When times are hard financially, there are a lot of fiscal ‘shoulds’ that you put on the backburner. Things like savings, paying off debt and insurance purchases are shifted from the ‘BUY NOW’ column to, ‘BUY LATER’. But insurance purchases aren’t actually now or later options – they are necessary expenditures that you should make now, even if you have to tighten your belt to do so. Here are 3 reasons why.

Every year, each of us gets a choice to either pay our insurance premiums by month, quarter, or year. Whether it is your life insurance policy, auto insurance policy, or home insurance policy – you get that bill every year with a large amount to pay in full, or itty bitty amounts to pay monthly.

Do you know what one of the worst ways to experience the effectiveness of your home insurance company’s claims process is? With the personal injury claim against you because someone slipped and fell on your walkway after a winter storm.

Last week, we sent out a link on our Twitter account (Are you following us, @InsuranceHits? Please do, we look forward to talking with you!) to an article that noted that 74 percent of couples rarely, or even never, talk about life insurance. You can read the study results here.

There is no question that an insurance agent can help consumers through the insurance buying process. But since insurance agents earn commissions on the sales they make, many consumers worry that they could end up being talked into buying insurance policies and benefits that they don’t need, simply to increase the agent’s take home pay.

The new healthcare reform bill may have had an unintended side effect. Because the new laws allow children to stay on their parent’s insurance plans longer, allows people with pre-existing conditions to get coverage (starting in 2014), allows children with pre-existing conditions to get coverage now, and allows some people to avoid the system altogether and take advantage of Medicare, insurance companies are complaining that they need to raise rates in order to cover the additional costs and possible lost premiums.

Health Savings Accounts are often spoken of with reverence, as though these $5,000-per year contributory accounts are the saviors of the U.S. healthcare system and can be an adequate substitute for many health insurance plans. While a $5,000 a year contribution will hardly help pay for transplants and heart surgery, these accounts should not be overlooked as a helpful tool. They do provide many benefits, if you simply know how to utilize them.

If you are like most consumers, you do not read your home insurance policy for the heck of it. You find no fun in curling up with a stack of insurance policy documents on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and you wouldn’t miss out on a dinner date so that you could study your policy spec pages. While this is certainly understandable, neglecting to look over your insurance policy each year when it is renewed could result in your overpayment of premium.

If you’ve met with a financial planner lately, you may have been told to purchase a whole life insurance policy – the kind of policy that grows cash values. These types of policies can have a place in your retirement plan, but you need to be careful just how you utilize them. Here is a list of pros and cons to their use in your plan.

In case you haven’t heard, bedbugs are making a resurgence. And unlike other bug infestations, bed bugs are extremely difficult to get rid of. Because these insects are insidious, families can spend as much as $5,000 getting rid of just one infestation, and may need to replace furniture and linens on top of that.

If you’ve been inside a Walgreens drug store lately, you may have noticed a little office peeking out from the wall around the pharmacy. A glance inside this office will have shown you a person in a white jacket doing things suspiciously similar to those that a doctor routinely does.

One of the biggest fears that life insurance customers have is that their insurance company will go bankrupt before they can pay out the death benefit they’ve promised. It makes sense to be afraid – life insurance policies can be issued and be in-force for 50 years before the death benefit needs to be paid out. And who can guarantee that an insurance company will still be in business then?

Understanding your current health and recent health history isn’t always enough for underwriters. Sometimes, they want to find out about your habits and personality also. They do this because the way that you act and react can play a part in how dangerous your day to day life is and how likely you are to suffer an untimely death because of your actions. One way that they determine this aspect of your risk is by pulling your motor vehicle report (MVR).

Not every car can be covered with the same, basic insurance policy. Some cars, like vintage or collectible models, require special insurance coverage. You must factor this difference in before you get an auto insurance quote so that you can get the right insurance policy for your vehicle.

When you work for a traditional employer, there are some perks. There is vacation days, sick days, access to corporate training events, educational reimbursement, and of course, group health insurance. Group health insurance offered by traditional employers has many benefits. There is no individual underwriting so if you have pre-existing conditions you won’t be denied coverage (although they can impose waiting limits and exclusions for limited periods of time).

When people think of home insurance, they often picture the actual structure of their home and nothing else. This leads many individuals to purchase insurance for their dwelling but not for all the contents they have within their home.

A coal mining and logging state, West Virginia has mineral rich and lush mountains and forests. The state’s insurance regulations are reasonable and as easy for residents to live with as their expansive forests.

Home of grunge rock and the most famous coffee brand ever, Washington state is notable even if it is tucked way up into the corner of the U.S. Insurance regulators have worked to make sure the interest of the state’s residents are not forgotten either.

Utah is known for its sandy, rocky mountain faces, salt flats and amazing skiing. But their insurance regulators aren’t just having fun-they are creating reasonable insurance laws for all residents to follow.

Home to the Appalachian mountain chain, country music and Davy Crockett lore, Tennessee offers an interesting mix of rural landscapes and urban locales to its residents. It also has many interesting insurance regulations.

South Carolina has an interesting history of independence. They were the first state to secede from the union before the Civil War and they were the founding state of the Confederacy. When it comes to insurance regulations for its residents, South Carolina has a few unique requirements.

Whether you are enjoying Philadelphia cream cheese, visiting Hershey park or noshing on a famous Philly cheese steak, Philadelphia is home to a wonderful array of foods and activities all individual to the state. But when you look at the insurance regulations, you might not be as impressed by the variety.

Home of the “Silicon Forest,” Oregon is a great place to do business and a great place to live. Home to humans since over 8,000 B.C., Oregon has developed insurance regulations that were definitely built to last.

Oklahoma is favored with one of the most quickly growing economies in the United States. Thos can often indicate a higher per capita income and may result in Oklahoma residents requiring more insurance to protect their assets.

Residents of the Buckeye state are devoted to their families, their sports and their education. And while they may excel in personal areas, their state regulations regarding insurance are fairly average.

As the 19th largest state in the U.S., North Dakota knows a little something about protecting its assets. Their flexible and yet conservative insurance regulations help their residents learn the same lesson.

As one of the last southern states to secede from the Union, North Carolina has always had a bit of an independent streak. Their insurance regulations are just as independent as the rest of the state’s policies.

New York City, New York is known as the “Big Apple” but residents of the state-whether they are city dwellers or enjoy the more pastoral views of the northern part of the state-get to take a big bite out of the financial protection that their insurance regulators have offered up for them in auto, home and health insurance regulations.

New Mexico is a place for exploration. Their historic sites include ghost towns, mining sites, volcanoes, archeological discovery sites, ice caves and more. But the New Mexico insurance regulators have left little exploration when it comes to their well-defined insurance regulations.

The garden state has some very strict and resident-friendly insurance regulations to observe. While these regulations may seem a bit stiff at first reading, you will soon realize how great they really are.

Nebraska was one of the states that the federal government used to give away free land in the 1800′s to settlers. This filled the flat, tree-challenged state with settlers and allowed it to become the state in which Kool-Aid was created.

Home to seven different Indian reservations, Montana is a culturally rich state with amazing views and rich food. For residents, the state’s insurance regulators are busy at work creating rules that protect the state’s 974,000 residents.

Missouri is a great state for tourism, residency and business. The state is strong on renewable energy and clean water and provides for many of the special needs of its residents. Their state insurance regulations reflect this attitude of caring.

Minnesota has many amazing parks, lakes and wildlife for both visitors and residents to enjoy. As a state that really caters to its residents, Minnesota also has some reasonable and conservative insurance regulations that keep its citizens

If you drive an American car, chances are pretty good that it was made by a resident of the state of Michigan. While this state has been economically depressed for a number of years, its insurance regulations are evolving to create a fertile environment for businesses and individuals.

With an Ivy League college, large urban center and history of witchcraft trials, Massachusetts is a historically, culturally and educationally abundant state. They are also an interesting state in terms of insurance regulations.

From the rocky shoreline to the pastoral inlands, Maine offers the perfect balance for land lovers and ocean lovers alike. And as far as insurance is concerned, Maine is one of the most conservative and protective states around.

Louisiana residents have learned a lot over the past decade about the importance of insuring their homes, automobiles, health and lives. As sad as the lessons have been for them to bear, future generations may benefit from the knowledge that most insurance policies may only cover possible events, but when those possibilities become realities, insurance is extremely beneficial.

Kentucky is home to the world famous Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Fried Chicken as well as the less famous Vent Haven ventriloquist dummy museum. And while they may have a museum for dummies, Kentucky insurance regulations for auto, life, health and home are by no means dumb.

Named after an Indian tribe whose name meant, “People of the wind,” it is no surprise that Kansas’ biggest claim to fame is as the fictional home of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. That her house gets transported to another land through the force of a tornado is an ominous portent for residents of the state.

Smack dab in the middle of the American heartland, Iowa is known as one of the safest U.S. states to live in. But that doesn’t mean that Iowa residents can get away without having insurance-after all, accidents can happen in even the safest of states.

Indiana is home to lakes, parks, and a little town called Santa Claus which is inundated with mail every December. Residents of Indiana (including those in Santa Claus) enjoy the state’s relatively easygoing insurance regulation.

As the resident state of three presidents during the days they were elected, Illinois has a prominent history. Interestingly, for such a high profile state, their insurance regulations are pretty average.

When you think of Idaho, you may think, “Potatoes!” But Idaho is also a big producer of gem stones-they produce over 72 different semi-precious and precious stones. However, residents of the state know that their people are much more important than either their stones or their potatoes, and that is why insurance in Idaho is such a big deal.

Hawaii is not just a vacation locale with beaches, luaus and leis. Hawaii is the resident state of over 1.2 million people who play, work and own homes in the island chain state. And to those residents, insurance is an extremely important consideration.

With Atlanta quickly growing to become a major urban business location, Georgia’s population is greatly expanding. This traditional and southern state may be known for its peaches, but its insurance laws and requirements are pretty peachy too.

The sunshine state is known for its beaches, surf and theme parks. But with a primarily older population and the very real possibility of hurricane experience, the insurance needs of residents are extremely important to consider.

Washington DC (District of Columbia) is almost like a state within a state, though it is actually referred to as a district. So while it may be territorially located in Maryland, it is actually its own entity for the insurance, tax and other purposes of its more than 500,000 residents.

Delaware may have been the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, but it wasn’t the only one to value the importance of insurance for its residence. As a matter of fact, Delaware has some of the lowest insurance requirements in the entire country.

Whether you are new to Connecticut or are simply experiencing a change in your life that necessitates new insurance coverage, you need to become familiar with the regulations that will affect you. Here is an overview of some of the most important Connecticut insurance regulations.

Colorado residents know that everyday life in their great state extends far past the hobby of skiing. As parents, workers, drivers and residents, they know that state insurance regulations affect every day of their lives. Here is a short overview of some of the more important regulations.

California isn’t just about vacations and surfing; it is a state where many residents work to raise families and achieve their financial goals. Insurance regulations in the state can have an effect on both these activities, so here is a brief overview.

Alaska is often seen as one of the last refuges of the rugged frontiersmen. But that doesn’t mean that insurance and insurance regulations are non-existent. Here is a brief overview of some of the more important insurance regulations in your state.

There is nothing more frightening in the real world than getting a bill for a health service that you thought would be covered by your health insurance policy but isn’t. Different than your standard Certificate of Benefits (COB) a bill is an actual request for payment from a service that is either not covered under the details of your health insurance policy or will not be covered simply because you didn’t follow some procedure correctly. Luckily, there are many ways you can avoid facing this bill:

If you pick up your home insurance policy some lazy Sunday or if you get a home insurance quote then you will notice you can get home insurance on both your dwelling and on your “other structures.” Typically in a home insurance policy, other structures refers to any building or structure that does not share a foundation with your home.

If there is one extremely important asset that you have which is almost impossible to attach a dollar value to, it is your life. How do you determine what your life is worth to those who love you and would miss you after your death? Unfortunately, you can’t.

With all this talk about auto insurance quotes, homeowners insurance quotes, life insurance quotes and health insurance quotes, it is easy to forget that there is actually an even more important consideration to make when we shop for any kind of insurance, and that is the consideration of which insurance company to purchase from.

There are times when financial or medical hardships make it impossible for us to get insurance coverage. There are also times when unforeseen disasters wreak more havoc than we, or our insurers, are able to pay. It is during these times that state and federal funds can step in and make all the difference.

One of the things you should factor into the online auto insurance quote you receive is the type of car you drive. The age, condition, Kelley Blue Book value and replacement costs should all be considered.

People are always looking for ways to save money on different types of insurance coverage. One of the most popular ways to save a little bit of green on your insurance premiums each month is to bundle your insurance coverage. Whether you are looking for home insurance quotes, auto insurance quotes, or life insurance quotes, chances are you will find much cheaper rates when you get all these policies with just one company than you will if you choose a different company for each insurance product. This process is called bundling insurance coverage.

If you want to get the best price, you need to shop around. That way, you collect prices and can find the best value. Welcome to the world of online quotes. This site opens the door to a thousand and more insurance companies and agents specializing in different types of policy in the auto, home, health and life markets.